Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: EU Accession

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support Turkey joining the EU, and what pre-conditions they believe should attach to such admission.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government supports the process of Turkey’s EU accession, which remains the most effective means of encouraging reform, stability and democracy in Turkey. But as the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has made it clear that the question of Turkey actually joining the EU is ‘not remotely on the cards’, indeed that he does not believe it will happen ‘for decades’. Every Member State has a veto, at every stage of the process.Turkey would need to undergo substantial reform before we could consider Turkish accession to the EU, particularly in terms of rule of law, freedom of speech, and socio-economic convergence with EU standards. Furthermore, the Government will not agree to any further EU enlargement without new arrangements for transitional controls on freedom of movement. We do not want to take the risk, as we did in 2004, of very large movements of people after a new accession. Under the European Union Act 2011, any new Accession Treaty would require parliamentary approval by primary legislation before it could be ratified.

Turkey: EU Accession

Lord Renwick of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they continue to support the admission of Turkey to the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government supports the process of Turkey’s EU accession, which remains the most effective means of encouraging reform, stability and democracy in Turkey. But as the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has made it clear that the question of Turkey actually joining the EU is 'not remotely on the cards', indeed that he does not believe it will happen 'for decades'. Every Member State has a veto, at every stage of the process. It is the Government's policy not to agree to any further enlargement of the EU without a new system of controls on the movement of workers being put in place. Under the European Union Act 2011, any new Accession Treaty would require primary legislation before it could be ratified.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to support the establishment of independent international monitoring mechanisms in Yemen to investigate human rights violations on all sides of the conflict.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK supported a UN Human Rights Council resolution in October 2015, which called on the UN to provide technical assistance to the Government of Yemen, assist the Yemeni National Independent Commission of Inquiry, and report back to the next session of the Human Rights Council. The UK welcomes Yemen’s commitment to cooperate with the UN on protection of human rights. It is important to continue to support this process until the Commission has reported back to the Human Rights Council in September 2016 where the discussions about the need for any alternative measures can be properly informed.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the demolition of Palestinian houses in al-Sowana neighbourhood and Shu'fat village.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Whilst we have not raised these specific demolitions, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv has raised our concerns on demolitions with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 15 May, and urged them to provide a legal route for Palestinians to obtain building permits.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the arrest of 13 Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West Bank between 12 and 18 May.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have no plans to raise these arrests with the Israeli authorities.

Golan Heights

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take to protect the Golan Heights from further Israeli settlement expansion, discriminatory policies against the native Syrian population, and the extraction of natural resources from the area.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government regards the Golan Heights – along with East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza – as Occupied Territory. We continue to call on Israel, as the Occupying Power, to uphold its obligations under international law in the Occupied Territories, including abiding by UN Security Council Resolution 497 (1981). We have been clear that Israel must comply with its obligations under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the planned removal of parliamentary immunity from a large number of elected deputies in the Grand National Assembly, in particular from the Peoples' Democratic Party; and whether they plan to make representations to the government of Turkey about its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and NATO.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The lifting of parliamentary immunity is a matter for the Turkish parliament. As a modern democracy and candidate for EU accession, we would expect Turkey to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and fully respect the rule of law.

Kamuran Yüksek

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the arrest in Diyarbakir on 10 May of Mr Kamuran Yüksek of the Democratic Region Party and make appropriate representations to the government of Turkey.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Kurdistan Workers' Party, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK as well as in Turkey, continues to mount deadly terrorist attacks in Turkey, particularly in the country’s south-east. In the course of security operations in that region, a number of Democratic Regions Party officials have been detained, including Kamuran Yüksek. We regularly urge the Turkish authorities to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, in the course of anti-terror operations, and to support the rule of law. We will continue to monitor these issues closely.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will call on the government of Israel to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on torture to visit places of arrest and holding of suspects in the West Bank, together with prisons and detention centres in Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have no plans to call on the Israeli authorities to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on torture to visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Palestinians: Detainees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will raise with the Palestinian Authority the recent reported increase in arbitrary arrest and allegations of torture and ill-treatment of their detainees.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are deeply concerned by these reports, and have raised our concerns around the conduct of the security forces with the Palestinian Authority. Through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, we are working with the Palestinian Authority to support reform of the Palestinian security sector, aiming to strengthen civilian oversight and accountability of the security forces.

Israel: Torture

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by a delegation of British lawyers Children in Military Custody published in June 2012 and the recommendations of the UN Committee against Torture published on 4 May, whether they will call on Israel (1) to incorporate the crime of torture in its penal code, as defined in Article 1 of the UN Convention Against Torture, (2) to remove the defence of "necessity" as a possible justification of torture in national legislation, (3) to ensure that interrogations by Israeli Security Forces are recorded in audio-visual format, and that such recordings are retained, and (4) to investigate allegations of harm caused by the Israeli Security Forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as compliance with international humanitarian law. We regularly discuss implementation of those obligations with the Israeli authorities. We are aware that Israel is in the process of incorporating the crime of torture into national legislation.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funded and facilitated an independent report on Children in Military Custody by leading British lawyers in 2012. Ministers and our Ambassador in Tel Aviv have urged Israel to take action on the recommendations in this report. We remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention and continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of those detained. We welcomed progress made in recent Israeli policy amendments, such as the increase of the age of majority from 16 to 18 years old, and the enactment of a special statute of limitations for minors. We continue to encourage Israel to introduce mandatory audio-visual equipment for all interrogations.

Tunisia: Security

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed with the government of Tunisia the security improvements required before the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's current advice against all but essential travel to Tunisia can be lifted.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We discuss progress on improving security with the Tunisian government on a very regular basis, both bilaterally and through the G7, most recently on 25 May. We still consider the threat level to be specific enough to advise against all but essential travel. Our Travel Advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation and the threat level permit.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is currently detained in Iran, and what assurances they have received as to her wellbeing.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case with Foreign Minister Zarif on 17 May. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), also raised the case with the Iranian Chargé d’affaires on 18 May. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and denies consular access on those grounds. We understand that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is able to call her family and we welcome the recent news that she was moved out of solitary confinement.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the recent elections in the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus on the UK's aims for the talks process on the reunification of Cyprus, and on their foreign policy position regarding that island.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Following elections to the legislature in the Republic of Cyprus, the UK will continue to support strongly the efforts of the two communities to reunite Cyprus. We also look forward to continuing to work closely with the Republic of Cyprus across a range of shared interests, including security and defence issues, and reinforcing the values that underpin the Commonwealth.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on relations between the UK and Turkey of the decision in the Turkish Parliament to strip parliamentary immunity from 124 deputies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The lifting of parliamentary immunity is a matter for the Turkish parliament. As a modern democracy and candidate for EU accession, we would expect Turkey to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and fully respect the rule of law.

Crimes against Humanity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the US State Department’s policy of training staff in embassies and consulates in countries considered to be at risk in how to identify incipient mass atrocities and how to act upon early warning signals, what consideration they have given to training a dedicated officer in each UK embassy and consulate in at-risk locations in order effectively to bring such issues to the notice of relevant officers at the FCO in London.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently developing a training package on conflict and human rights which will include components on identifying, preventing and responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Staff serving in countries considered at risk will be expected to undertake this training as part of their overseas posting. This package will be accompanied by a set of wider training materials on these issues made available to staff.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Education

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make a multi-year funding commitment to the Education Cannot Wait fund for education in emergencies that represents an increase in real terms funding for education in humanitarian situations.

Baroness Verma: The UK has played a leading role in the development of the Education Cannot Wait fund, which is designed to attract multi-year additional funding for education in emergencies and protracted crises. The UK has recently announced a new multi-year commitment of £30 million, over the first two years, to the Education Cannot Wait fund at the World Humanitarian Summit on 23rd May, as a founding donor to this important initiative.

Africa: Manufacturing Industries

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has been asked by the Department for International Development to analyse why Africa’s share of global manufacturing has fallen from three percent in 1970 to less than two percent in 2014.

Baroness Verma: DFID, BIS and the FCO form a joint Trade Policy Unit which collectively works on issues of trade policy and trade facilitation and regularly scrutinises sectoral trade and growth trends across Africa.While Africa’s share of global manufacturing has fallen since 1970, this is mostly driven by the rise in manufacturing production in China and India. Manufacturing production is increasing across Africa, but with varying experiences across countries. African manufacturing grew at 3.5% annually in real terms over the last decade. However, manufacturing still represents on a small fraction of economic activity and it is our assessment that manufacturing in Africa is lagging.The World Bank calculates that 18 million jobs need to be created in Africa every year until 2035 to keep up with this growth. The Department for International Development is currently scaling up our efforts to boost manufacturing in Africa to help create jobs and economic opportunities. This adds to DFID’s strong portfolio on unlocking industrialisation and trade in Africa.

Department for Education

Schools: Location

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the site selection and assessment process of the Education Funding Agency, and how much weight is given to local public opinion during that process.

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are guidelines for local consultations in the Education Funding Agency site selection process, and if so, what those guidelines are.

Lord Nash: The Education Funding Agency makes a value for money assessment of each site identified for a new free school. This takes into account factors such as the demand for places in the area and the suitability of the site, including any concerns from local residents. Local consultations should take place during the selection of the site and the views of residents are factored in at several stages of the process.

Secondary Education

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that existing secondary schools in areas where a new school is planned do not suffer from inappropriate competition for places or other disadvantages.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education’s published document ‘Free schools applications: criteria for assessment’ sets out the criteria which will be used to assess proposals to establish new free schools. This document is attached.Prior to the school opening, the Secretary of State considers the impact the new school will have on all schools in the area in which the institution is proposed.



Free_schools_applications_criteria
(PDF Document, 414.25 KB)

Academies

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost, including legal fees, of converting a school to an academy.

Lord Nash: The costs of becoming an academy vary from school to school. Schools that become academies each receive a standard pre-opening grant relative to their particular circumstances.Currently, these tariffed grants contribute towards the costs of conversion incurred by schools in establishing the academy. These may include legal fees, as well as costs associated with transfer of land, transfer of software licences, Human Resources and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations advice, setting up an Academy Trust and paying for school improvement capacity.

Ministry of Justice

Community Orders

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance has been issued to the courts to ensure that the option of a mental health Community Treatment Order is considered as part of a Community Sentence.

Lord Faulks: The National Probation Service provides sentencers with advice on requirements that could from part of a court ordered community order or a suspended sentence order. Guidance has been produced by the National Offender Management Service that is aimed at all partners, including the National Probation Service and the courts, to support increased use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements. This guidance can be found in the document Mental health Treatment Requirement – a Guide to Integrated Delivery, published on gov.uk.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Opening of Parliament

Lord Tyler: To ask the Chairman of Committees what have been the (1) security, and (2) other, costs to the House administration in preparing for and conducting the State Opening of Parliament in each of the last five years.

Lord Laming: State Opening is the major ceremonial event of the parliamentary calendar and the Estate is significantly reconfigured for hosting it. Its traditions date back as far as the sixteenth century and it is the only regular occasion when the three constituent parts of Parliament meet: the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The event is broadcast to the nation by the main UK TV channels and also to many international networks with high viewing figures across the globe.The security costs to the House administration in preparing for and conducting the State Opening of Parliament in each of the last five years are set out in the table below. These figures are additional to the fixed cost base for police officers and staff, tasked daily with protecting the Parliamentary Estate. They are indicative, due to the complex nature of police officer and staff allocation for a large scale operation. YearAmount (£)2012c.15,000201317,234201410,300201515,8142016c.15,000 Estimates of other costs are set out in the table below. These include supply and fit of additional structures, preparations of the interior, additional lighting, move and reinstallation of the vehicle security barrier, construction costs of reconfiguring the Lords chamber and Royal Gallery, building media facilities within the Palace of Westminster, storage of equipment throughout the year, and other domestic and administrative costs.The costs for 2016 are based on estimates only at this stage, because not all invoices have yet been received from relevant suppliers. Some costs are annual rather than tied to a particular State Opening of Parliament; these annual costs have been attributed to the next State Opening.Since 2015, a proportion of overtime has been captured specifically in relation to the State Opening of Parliament. This accounts for the apparent steep increase in overall ‘other’ costs for that and the subsequent year, but it should be noted that these costs always existed, but were assigned to separate budgets. YearAmount (£)2012251,3412013261,5042014280,7072015325,9372016c.326,000 The House of Lords pays a proportion of these costs, many of which are costs from services shared with the House of Commons. This information does not represent the full cost of State Opening, as costs will also have been incurred by other bodies, which may include Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household.

Opening of Parliament

Lord Tyler: To ask the Chairman of Committees what is the capital value for which (1) ermine robes, and (2) other garments, used by Peers and Officers of the House during the State Opening of Parliament are insured.

Lord Laming: The capital value of Members’ robes donated to the House is £217,453 (as reported in the House of Lords Resource Accounts: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-information-office/2015/HL-resource-accounts-2014-15.pdf). No public money was spent on acquiring these robes. The Administration does not capitalise other garments used by Members and staff of the House during the State Opening of Parliament. The House is self-insuring.



House of Lords resource accounts 2014-15
(PDF Document, 837.6 KB)

House of Lords: Fairtrade Initiative

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask the Chairman of Committees what plans are there to support Fairtrade fortnight.

Lord Laming: Catering and Retail Services stock a range of Fairtrade products, including tea, coffee, cake, biscuits and bananas. Catering and Retail Services raised awareness of these lines during Fairtrade Fortnight this year and ran related promotions.

House of Lords: Zero Hours Contracts

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask the Chairman of Committees how many staff in the House of Lords are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Lord Laming: The House of Lords does not employ any staff on zero-hours contracts on an exclusive basis. It employs 28 staff on zero-hours contracts in the Catering and Retail Services department, primarily for banqueting events. These are roles where staffing demands vary significantly week to week and are often unpredictable. The House also employs 22 freelance Hansard reporters. In order to meet overnight publication deadlines for Grand Committee debates, Hansard needs to supplement its permanent team with temporary reportersZero-hours staff employed by the House of Lords are free to turn down shifts offered by the House. They have equivalent employment rights to full-time staff including pension and holiday pay entitlements, which are better than those of most agency staff. All staff in the House of Lords, including those on these contracts, are paid at least the London Living Wage.

House of Lords: Sanitation

Lord Palmer: To ask the Chairman of Committees how much it cost to refurbish the Cholmondeley Room toilets, and why those toilets were out of service so soon after their six-month refurbishment.

Lord Laming: The works to the Cholmondeley Room toilets are not yet completed. They should be completed in the next month. The estimated budget is £650,000 (of which the Lords’ share is 40%).A number of unforeseen technical difficulties mean that the works are slightly behind schedule; although two of the toilets have re-opened, some underlying problems are still being resolved.

Ministry of Defence

Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they regard as the main objectives of the forthcoming autumn UN Peacekeeping Conference.

Earl Howe: The Secretary of State for Defence will host a UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial at Lancaster House in London on 8 September 2016. This is a follow-on event to the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by President Obama last September. The event will be an opportunity to take stock of progress made on pledges since last year, as well as to focus on how we can improve peacekeeping and on the role and participation of women in peacekeeping.

South Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the tasks and role of UK military personnel committed to service in South Sudan.

Earl Howe: The UK currently has five military personnel deployed in South Sudan. Of those, four personnel serve as staff officers within the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and contribute to delivering the UNMISS mandate. The total current UK deployment is completed by a Defence Attaché at the British Embassy team in Juba. In addition, the UK is working with the UN on the details of a further UK military deployment to support UNMISS, following the Prime Minister's commitment at the UN General Assembly session in September 2015.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the tasks and role of the UK military personnel committed to service in Somalia.

Earl Howe: The UK currently has 27 military personnel deployed in Somalia. Of those, 25 personnel are supporting the UN and EU Missions, providing training, mentoring, and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and developing the Somali National Army. The purpose of those Missions is to counter the terrorist threat from Al Shabaab and to help strengthen security and stability within Somalia and the wider East Africa region. The 25 includes the first eight personnel committed by the Prime Minister to the UN in Somalia at the UN General Assembly session in September 2015. The total current UK deployment of 27 military personnel is completed by a Defence Attaché and Assistant Defence Attaché at the British Embassy in Mogadishu.

Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people, and of what nationalities, the UK is training as international peacekeepers; what is the form of such training; and by which UK personnel it is provided.

Earl Howe: Her Majesty's Government makes a significant contribution to improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping forces through its training activities. The Ministry of Defence delivers training to overseas militaries through the deployment of Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) and deployable experts, and via our overseas training establishments:  - British Peace Support Team (East Africa) (BPST(EA)), focused on delivering training to African Mission in Somalia contributing countries.  - British Peace Support Training (South Africa) (BPST(SA)), focused on training troops deployed to West Africa (Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Mali).  - British Military Advisory Training Team (Czech Republic) (BMATT Czech), providing Peace Support Operations (PSOs) training to partner nations including Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, and Romania.  - Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) (Sarajevo), delivering training to personnel from Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) and other countries including Austria, Croatia, Turkey, Tunisia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.   These establishments provide training on a range of themes including theatre specific pre-deployment training, as well as courses on gender, Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), and Human Trafficking. The training is carried out by a wide variety of UK Armed Forces personnel, most of whom are dedicated trainers in their fields. They also draw on the expertise of other specialists within the Forces.In the last 12 months, BPST(EA) and deployed UK-based Short Term Training Teams have trained more than 7,000 soldiers and police from nine countries through 68 different training tasks. Training is adapted depending on the needs of the country. BPSTs adjust courses to include high-end technological intelligence training, logistics, counter-IED, and leadership and operational planning.In the same period, BPST(SA) has trained 1,700 Malawian military personnel in preparation for their deployment to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). In the coming year, 600-800 Zambian troops are due to be trained by BPST(SA) before their deployment to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).BMATT Czech has provided training in Peace Support Operations to 424 personnel from partner countries, a number of whom are now capable of delivering Peace Support Operation training in-country themselves.PSOTC, now under command of BiH forces, supported by UK trainers, has trained 46 military personnel from a number of countries in preventing sexual violence in conflict.

Saudi Arabia: Cluster Munitions

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK cluster bombs have been sold to the government of Saudi Arabia; and if so, when.

Earl Howe: The Governments of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed an agreement in August 1986 that covered the supply of BL-775 cluster munitions to the Royal Saudi Air Force. The last of these were supplied in early 1989. We are not aware of the sale of any other UK cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia.

Trident Submarines

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the total cost of Trident renewal over the lifespan of the Successor-class submarines, including in-service costs and decommissioning.

Earl Howe: As stated in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, our latest cost estimate for manufacturing the four submarines of the Successor submarine programme is £31 billion, plus a contingency of £10 billion. This includes an assessment of the likely inflation over the lifetime of the programme and the risks appropriate for a project at this stage.Once the new fleet of ballistic missile submarines comes into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget.While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend their lifespan to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.

North Korea: Forced Labour

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any vessels of the Royal Navy fleet have been built or serviced at the Nauta shipyard in Poland; and whether the Government is aware of the use of North Korean labour at that shipyard.

Earl Howe: I can confirm that no Royal Navy vessels have been built or serviced at the Nauta shipyard in Poland. We are aware of reports, however, that North Korean labour has been used at the shipyard.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Poverty

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for social and community cohesion of people living in poverty.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Building a strong economy and increasing employment are the surest way to lift people out of poverty and build strong and cohesive communities. The latest figures show a record 31.6 million people are now in work making a real difference to families on the ground with the number of children in workless households at a record low.Britain has a claim to be the most successful multi-faith, multi-racial democracy in the world. The Community Life Survey 2014-15 shows a well-integrated society with 87 per cent of people reporting they belong strongly to Britain and 86 per cent that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. But we know deep seated inequalities remain between some minority groups and the majority population, and have set in train work to address these inequalities:a review by Louise Casey into boosting opportunity and integration in the most isolated and deprived communities to inform a major new Cohesive Communities Programme;a 2020 vision to increase Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic opportunities, such as take up of apprenticeships and employment; andplans to publish a Life Chances Strategy, announced in January, setting out a comprehensive plan to fight disadvantage and extend opportunity.

HM Treasury

Financial Markets

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who has regulatory responsibility for approving cross-margining agreements between central clearing houses and the determination of priority in the event of default.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last reviewed the risks posed to financial stability by central clearing houses; and whether such a review took account of the increasing practice of cross-margining linking two or more clearing houses.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Under European Regulation No 648/2012 (EMIR) CCPs in the UK are regulated by the Bank of England. For other information I refer the noble Lord to my written answers of 1 April (HL7153) and 26 April (HL7583, HL7584, HL7585, and HL7586).

Cabinet Office

Acts

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Acts of Parliament have been passed since 2010; and how many of those have not been implemented.

Lord Bridges of Headley: 212 Government and non-Government Bills have been passed by the United Kingdom Parliament since 2010. The Government monitors implementation of its policy commitments rather than individual legislative measures.

Department of Health

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take in the light of the findings of the independent review of the handling by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the independent review of the handling by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright did not inquire into wider governance concerns raised as part of the review when its terms or reference allowed it to report on other relevant matters that arose during the course of the review.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new review into the governance of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust will take account of evidence submitted to the independent review of the handling by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright.

Lord Prior of Brampton: These are matters in the first instance for NHS Improvement. The Verita report, Independent review of the handling by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright, was commissioned by the NHS Trust Development Authority – a forerunner organisation – independently of Government. NHS Improvement is commissioning a governance review to consider issues highlighted by the Verita report.  A copy of the terms of reference for the new governance review are attached. Verita was originally requested (under specific terms of reference) to review and provide a dedicated report on the handling by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright. Governance issues that fell outside of those terms of reference will be considered in the new review, to ensure thorough investigation. The new review will take into account evidence provided by Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright and others in the course of the Verita review.



Terms of Reference
(PDF Document, 161.67 KB)

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for the new review into the governance of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish in full the findings of the new review into the governance of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This is a matter for NHS Improvement, which advises that it is currently undertaking a tender process to appoint a provider for the governance review of the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. It is expected that the review will begin in July 2016 and will report in the autumn. NHS Improvement advises that it will publish the final review report in full.

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the decision to delay inquiring into wider governance issues at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and the role that the Trust is being asked to play in helping the re-configuration of services in Staffordshire are connected, and if so, how.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS Improvement advises that Verita’s report Independent review of the handling by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust of concerns raised by and related to Mrs Haynes-Kirkbright was undertaken and published independently of Government and of any role the Trust played in the reconfiguration of services in Staffordshire. The review did not relate in any way to the reconfiguration. The content and timing of the review into wider concerns about governance at the Trust will not be affected in any way by the Staffordshire reconfiguration.